The Letters of Horace Walpole, Earl of Orford — Volume 4 eBook

(514) Mr. Flood took his seat for Winchester on the
8th of December, and on the same evening addressed
the House in Opposition to Mr. Fox’s East India
bill. “He spoke,” says Wraxall,
“with great ability and good sense, but the slow,
measured, and sententious style of enunciation which
characterized his eloquence, appeared to English ears
cold and stiff: unfortunately, too, for Flood,
one of his own countrymen, Courtenay, instantly Opened
on him such a battery of ridicule and wit, as seemed
to overwhelm the new Member. He made no attempt
at reply, and under these circumstances began the division.
It formed a triumphant exhibition Of ministerial
strength, the Coalition numbering 208; while only
102 persons, of whom I was one, followed Pitt into
the lobby yet, within twelve days afterwards he found
himself first minister, and so remained above seventeen
years."-E.

(515) John James Hamilton. In 1789, he succeeded
his uncle as ninth Earl of Abercorn, and second Viscount
Hamilton; and in 1790, was created Marquis of Abercorn.-E.

Your cherries, for aught I know, may, like Mr. Pitt,
be half ripe before others are in blossom; but at
Twickenham, I am sure, I could find dates and pomegranates
on the quickset hedges, as soon as a cherry in swaddling-clothes
on my walls. The very leaves on the horse-chestnuts
are little snotty-nosed things, that cry and are afraid
of the north-wind, and cling to the bough as if old
poker was coming to take them away. For my part,
I have seen nothing like spring but a chimney-sweeper’s
garland; and yet I have been three days in the country-and
the consequence was, that I was glad to come back
to town. I do not wonder that you feel differently;
any thing is warmth and verdure when compared to poring
over memorials. In truth, I think you will be
much happier for being out of Parliament. You
could do no good there; you have no views of ambition
to satisfy: and when neither duty. nor ambition
calls, (I do not condescend to name avarice, which
never is to be satisfied, nor deserves to be reasoned
with, nor has any place in your breast,) I cannot
conceive what satisfaction an elderly man can have
in listening to the passions or follies of others:
nor is eloquence such a banquet, when one knows that,
whoever the cooks are, whatever the sauces, one has
eaten as good beef or mutton before, and perhaps, as
well dressed. It is surely time to live for
one’s self, when one has not a vast while to
live; and you, I am persuaded, Will live the longer
for leading a country life. How much better to
be planting, nay, making experiments on smoke (if
not too dear), than reading applications from officers,
a quarter of whom you could not serve, nor content
three quarters! You had not time for necessary
exercise : and, I believe, would have blinded